Flight and Freedom
by Paper Pearls
Summary: During her time as quidditch captain, Angelina's friendship with Madam Hooch turns into something more. This is my first femmeslash and it takes place during AJ's final year - Harry's fifth - don't like, don't read.
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first attempt at femmeslash and I hope that you enjoy reading it. If you dislike the idea of a seventh year having any kind of relationship with a professor then read no more. Madam Hooch is supposed to be about a hundred years old in the Potterverse, but this just isn't how I'd imagined her. For the purposes of this story I'm writing her as somewhere between 50 and 60- it will not be strictly canon.**

**OoOoO**

It was her final year at Hogwarts and Angelina Johnson was determined that Gryffindor were going to win the Quidditch Cup, partly because of the pride she took in her position as captain, and partly because of the level of commitment and responsibility she felt for her team. Being captain was no joke- in fact it was taking up the majority of her free time, but there was nothing that Angelina would rather be doing than working for the good of her team. Last year Oliver had been a great captain, patient with the players and capable of producing results; this had earned him the respect of the team, herself included, and now Angelina wanted to do more.

When the Captain's badge had arrived during the summer holidays she had started planning various strategies for the team and had accumulated a list of problems that she needed help making sense of. The logical course of action was to seek out an expert, and there was nobody who could claim that their knowledge of quidditch exceeded that of Xiomara Hooch. For the first few weeks of term her classes had kept her busy, but on a Saturday morning there was nothing to stop her from going to see the flying instructor and ask advice.

Madam Hooch wasn't seated at the staff table and so it was only logical to assume that she was at the pitch, perhaps flying, perhaps in her office. Finishing her French toast, Angelina bid goodbye to Katie and Alicia and stood, picking up her broom from its place under the bench.

"Don't you spend too long flying out there- you've not finished your Transfigurations essay." Of the three of them Katie was the most responsible, and it was thanks to her that Angelina was now so good at time management.

"That is completely irrelevant as long as we win our first match, Bell." The sparkle in her dark eyes told her friends that she was halfway between seriousness and joking.

"As much as she loves the game, I don't really think McGonagall sees it that way if I'm quite honest." Behind Katie's back Alicia shook her head pityingly, shrugging her shoulders as though to say she thought Katie's priorities were bizarre. Angelina couldn't help but smile at the antics of her friend. If Katie was the responsible one then Alicia was the wild one, no doubt about it.

"Yeah yeah, I'll see you guys later." She waved at her two friends and made her way out of the hall, returning the greetings of friends and housemates as she went. Being back at Hogwarts was great because her fellow Gryffindors had become like a family to her, and being apart from her friends was never easy. What they would all do upon graduation was a mystery that she didn't enjoy spending time pondering- leaving Hogwarts behind was going to be worse than leaving her parents at home every time school started up again. Once she was outside with the sun shining down from a perfect clear blue sky it was impossible to continue such a melancholy line of thought. Instead her thoughts turned to the impact the slight breeze would have upon the quaffle as it was thrown and how she would ask Katie and Alicia to try modifying their passes tomorrow when they practiced, granted the good weather held. So engrossed was she in her plans, Angelina barely noticed the time it took her to walk to the pitch passing.

As she approached the door situated on the base of the appropriate stand it occurred to Angelina that Madam Hooch could be busy and might not appreciate the interruption to her day. She knocked the door and waited, but no answer came. She knocked the door again, but still no response was given and the door remained firmly shut.

With a slight sigh Angelina gave up and decided to enjoy flying for a while regardless of the lack of help she had been given with strategy for her team. Turning around and preparing to ascend into the air, she nearly overbalanced as a dark blur rapidly descended in front of her. The figure executed a textbook nosedive, pulling up at exactly the right moment to avoid slamming into the ground. This was one of the many reasons that Xiomara Hooch had been a professional quidditch player.

"Miss Johnson, I wondered how long it would be until you were back outside of quidditch practice, but I had never imagined it would take you a whole two weeks." The teasing smile Madam Hooch gave her put any thoughts that the flying instructor doubted her love of quidditch out of Angelina's mind.

"I've been busy with my classes."

"Of course, and I can't imagine Miss Bell allowing you to slack off. Would you care to fly with me?" Madam Hooch didn't wait for an answer, knowing full well that it would be affirmative. She rose up higher and higher, Angelina following, and when they reached an acceptable height they began to fly relaxed laps of the pitch, making conversation easy to maintain. Never was Angelina happier than when she was in the air. Unhindered by any obstacles the landscape presented, the gentle wind ruffled her braids like a familiar friend and she rejoiced in the feeling of lightness throughout her body. "How was your summer?"

"It was great, thanks. I flew to Ireland with Fred and George and that was just fantastic. It's an incredible sight, the way the coast just seems to appear from nowhere. Mrs Weasley wasn't very happy about it, but Arthur was cool about the whole thing and my mum was okay once I told her that I wasn't alone."

"Yes, I can imagine that Molly would have been less than pleased about such an adventure, but she was never that keen on flying. What else happened?"

"Nothing much. I saw the Pride of Portree playing the Cannons with Alicia and Katie. What about you, Madam Hooch?"

"I was asked back to train the Harpies for the duration of the break and I loved every minute of it. There are some very talented girls on that team. Speaking of talented quidditch players, are you still planning on going professional after Hogwarts?"

"Of course! The Tutshill Tornados, if they'll have me that is." Madam Hooch laughed.

"You know they'll take you on, Angelina. You're one of your generation's most talented players, you're always willing to work hard and they'd be foolish not to accept you. I'll even help you to negotiate a salary when the time comes; every team tries to get the best deal possible with their new players, generally relying on their inexperience with financial matters to exploit them. I spent my first two years out of Hogwarts living in a dingy little bedsit, but it was mine and that made it special I suppose. I ate nothing but snack food and noodles, and it wasn't until they noticed that my weight had dropped so much that the wind sent me off course that I was given a raise. I couldn't in good conscience watch the same thing happen to you." She could easily picture a younger Madam Hooch with the same flyaway hair, mischievous smile and gaunt cheeks flying without fear on her broom. As though she had sensed Angelina's line of thought, Madam Hooch quickly changed the subject with something bound to distract the young quidditch captain. "Enough chit chat, I'm going to put you through your paces now."

Angelina knew the drill well by now- shortly before the end of the previous term Madam Hooch had started teaching her some advanced moves. The flying instructor executed a move and it was her job to imitate the action until she had it perfectly. After the end of year tests when her workload was no longer as onerous, Angelina had spent hours at a time learning from Madam Hooch and they had developed an easy friendship, discovering that they shared many of the same interests. All summer long she had practiced the moves, each of which she had described in a notebook so as to remember them, and now the improvement was obvious. A series of complex loops, dives and figures later they returned to the grass.

"Excellent, Miss Johnson." Despite the praise Angelina felt a twinge of unhappiness that her professor had reverted to being so formal. It was increasingly common that Madam Hooch would refer to Angelina by her given name, but this was seemingly not her intention.

"Thanks Madam Hooch, it's good of you to spend your time helping me."

"Nonsense- talent has to be nurtured, although I will be expecting season tickets for all of your games in the future." Angelina threw back her head and laughed. "Now, what was it that you came to see me for?"

"I was just wondering if you'd help me with a few problems I have with some formations and strategies for using in different types of weather."

"Certainly. Please do come in." She followed Madam Hooch into the tidy little office, sitting in the chair opposite the desk and waiting for her companion to join her. A moment later she appeared with two cups of tea and a plate of biscuits. The next couple of hours passed surprisingly quickly to both witches as the conversation was highly enjoyable. Madam Hooch found Angelina's questions well considered and she had to consider her answers carefully for quite a few of them. Long before she had imagined it would happen, the cuckoo clock on her wall sounded twelve o'clock- lunch time in the Great Hall.

"Goodness how time flies. Miss Johnson I've enjoyed this morning immensely and my door is always open to you. Please do come again soon." The request was unplanned and left Xiomara slightly confused.

"I will." With a bright smile, Angelina was gone.

**OoOoO**

The next day Angelina anticipated her team's first session of practice after tryouts desperately as she was eager to begin teaching the team some important strategies for their upcoming game against Slytherin. Her team were taking the match altogether too lightly for her liking and that was a big mistake- a lot of a team's success in quidditch depended on the mindset they held about the game as a collective body. Alicia and Katie could be counted on to feed themselves properly, but males were generally useless at such things and so she worked her way along the table and piled up their plates with nutritious foods that would keep them going until lunch time. Ron was as pale as a sheet, his now colourless skin contrasting strongly with his bright ginger hair. He looked like a nervous wreck, which must have been obvious because even Harry had noticed and was trying to encourage his friend. On Ron's other side Hermione was glaring at the twins, both of whom were currently doing more laughing than eating.

"Don't worry little Ronniekins; it doesn't matter if you make a fool of yourself-"

"Because it's the trying that counts." Fred and George exchanged a glance and spoke simultaneously, something that still amazed Angelina after five years of friendship.

"Not really." Ron paled even more and Harry gave a half shrug, not helping matters- it was time for her to intervene.

"Ron, why aren't you eating your breakfast? Every proper quidditch player works on a full stomach, and there are _no_ members of my team who aren't proper quidditch players. Fred, George, you two had better have eaten a proper breakfast by the time I see you on the pitch." Obediently the Weasley boys started to eat, and Harry followed suit without having to be told. Angelina allowed herself a satisfied smile as she returned to her seat to continue eating her own steaming bowl of porridge. She was nervous about taking practice for the first time and worried that she couldn't measure up to Oliver, who had been a stellar captain. Alicia squeezed her shoulder in a silent gesture of support.

"You're already doing great, Ang. They're all eating just like you told them, see?" Katie pointed along the table towards the male members of the team, all of whom were indeed eating, although in the case of the youngest Weasley boy failing to chew. Feeling a little more confident, she began eating the pair of croissants she had buttered and gave some more consideration to how she would begin the training session.

**OoOoO**

The Gryffindor team lined up before Angelina, all of them holding their brooms and looking enthusiastic about beginning the first quidditch session of the term. She smiled broadly at them, noticing how nervous Ron looked and trying to put him at ease.

"Standing in front of me I have the six best players in Gryffindor house, and so it goes without saying that we have the talent; now it's time to hone our skills and improve our abilities. I want all of you to give me a hundred percent of your effort whether we're playing Bulgaria or the Chudley Cannons." They all laughed at the contrast between the two professional teams, understanding the parallel she had drawn, and Angelina allowed herself to relax a little- it was going well so far. "Let's start with the basics; Harry, I want you to chase the snitch and catch it as quickly as you can. Fred, George, you keep the bludgers away from us. Alicia and Katie, I want you two to practice throwing the quaffle and Ron, you're with me. I'm going to try and score and you'll stop me, okay?"

"Yes sir!" Despite the hearty collective proclamation, Ron didn't look to happy but he nodded all the same. One by one Angelina released the enchanted balls from their restraints. Ignoring her nervousness over the straining bludgers, she didn't hesitate before releasing them; it didn't do to shrink from them before her team.

"Aye aye, captain." She didn't know which Weasley twin had spoken so she poked her tongue out in their general direction before kicking off, clutching a spare quaffle underneath her arm. It felt wonderful to be flying again, and she knew that she was wearing the same carefree smile as every other flying Gryffindor. Harry streaked after a golden blur, her two best friends flew in laps of the pitch and tossed a quaffle between them and a Weasley twin targeted a bludger each.

Ron looked nauseous, so much so that Angelina considered telling him to take ten to get a grip on himself, but then fresh air was supposed to be the best cure for feeling sick. She hovered; waiting for him to get in position, and when Ron had placed himself in front of the goals she tossed the quaffle with a good deal of force. It zoomed past him and into the left post.

"Pay attention, Ron honestly." He returned her smile sheepishly. "Let's try again." Angelina tried a lighter throw, using all of her considerable skill to aim directly for the centre of the middle of hoop. An easy save was sure to build Ron's confidence up and make him more comfortable with his newly earned position. His arms wind milled, so much so that his concentration momentarily lapsed and the broom he was riding dropped a few feet, missing the ball entirely. A passing Weasley tossed it back up on his way around the pitch- she couldn't be sure which one. "Thanks!"

They tried again several times but with a series of mishaps Ron failed to catch every single throw. Perhaps it was because he felt uncomfortable with her- Angelina recalled her own first practice with Jayne Featherstone, a tall and tempestuous seventh year girl at the time. Her own eleven year old self was scared witless of her captain after watching her break up a fight between the keeper at the time and one of the chasers. Jayne had literally pulled them away from each other and had screamed herself hoarse at them for behaving in such a way in front of the Slytherins. At that time she hadn't understood what it would mean to lose face in front of their rival house, but now it would cause depthless shame as it would reflect poorly not only upon herself as captain but the rest of the team and their house. Now, of course, they remained in touch and Jayne had laughed herself silly when she had discovered the way Angelina's eleven year old self had regarded her. She shook her head and surfaced from the memory in time to catch Ron apologising.

"Honestly you have nothing to be sorry about, it's just nerves, okay? Everybody's scared during their first practice." Without waiting for an answer she blew her whistle, which was charmed to carry the length and breadth of the pitch without attenuating, and flew towards the middle of the pitch, descending. The team assembled where she had summoned them to.

"Alright, you've had fifteen minutes to warm up, now I want to see you work. Ron and Alicia, you two work on throwing the quaffle to one another following the markers I'll cast for you- co-ordination is the most important thing you can have. Harry, I want to practice some dives, sharp turns and accelerating- above all else a seeker has to be light. Fred, George, I'm charming the bludgers to come after you pair specifically and you have an added incentive to club them that way. Katie, we'll work on formation tactics and 'liss, we'll fill you in later." Alicia nodded. She cast several twinkling purple markers, something she had worked on all summer that was listed in the captains' handbook her father had gifted her with, and waved her wand over the bludgers. "What are you lot waiting for, let's go?" The team obeyed, Katie remaining by her side. They passed the quaffle back and forth and as soon as they were out of earshot Katie started to talk.

"What's the deal with Ron, is he alright?" Her stomach plummeted, giving Angelina the momentary impression she was falling. If the team had seen what he had done then there was no way she could talk about it to Katie, in fact it was better for all their sakes that she pretended nothing was wrong, even if it meant misguiding one of her best friends. Ron had little confidence and for his sudden inability to catch the quaffle to become team knowledge could destroy whatever faith in himself as a quidditch player he had- no, she owed it to him as captain not to exacerbate the situation.

"Fine, he's fine; just a little nervous. Hey, did you read about that pass in the summer edition of '_Quidditch Quarterly'_ where the chasers from China's team just toss the quaffle over their shoulder to their partners?"

"No, you're kidding me! How well co-ordinated must they be?" As she expected Katie's face lit up like the muggle Christmas tree her mother insisted on putting up each year.

"I know! But I think that you, me and 'liss could pull it off. I mean, we know each other really well on and off the pitch. Why don't we give it a go? I'll turn around and when I count to three we'll each accelerate slowly, the kind of maximum speed kids' brooms have. You throw after another three seconds and we'll see how it goes." Angelina turned around just in time to see Ron miss the quaffle by a hair's breath, and refrained from sighing. There was only one person she could go and see about this.

**OoOoO**

Two hours later, showered and dressed in a pair of denim jeans and a black jumper, Angelina waved off her team and waited for the quidditch instructor to come down and join her. Madam Hooch obliged, flying down from the nearby Ravenclaw stand and dismounting just beside her in one fluid motion. It stuck Angelina that she was naturally graceful. Where had that thought come from? She shook her head slightly, willing it away.

"Ah, Miss Johnson, I am very impressed. Not only did you conduct practice like a professional, you also used such a range of charms that showed you have been researching. It's nice to see that kind of commitment." She placed a hand on Angelina's back and led her towards her office. "Now, I presume what you wish to talk to me about is the youngest Mr Weasley?"

"Well, only if you don't mind." She had taken up a lot of Madam Hooch's time yesterday, after all.

"Certainly not- I told you to come back, didn't I?"

"Only if you'll promise to call me Angelina, Madam Hooch." She stiffened, suddenly aware of the heat of the older witch's hand through her jumper. Where the thought had come from she couldn't say, but now the words were out she realised that it felt much better being referred to by her first name.

"If you wish, but only on the further condition that you call me Xiomara and don't laugh at such a foolish name." This was more than Angelina could hope for, although she didn't understand why she was hoping for it in the first pace- it was just silly.

"Why would I laugh? It suits you."

"So I'm told... I don't know what my mother was thinking... 'Xiomara', indeed." Nor did Xiomara Hooch know what she was thinking allowing herself to be unprofessional, but she was far more quidditch player than teacher. They reached the small office and Angelina sat without having to be told. "Now, Mr Weasley... he was outstanding at try outs- what do _you_ think is the matter first of all?"

"At first I thought that he couldn't connect with me because he found authority figures intimidating." Angelina paused to gather her thoughts.

"Oh yes, we all fear our first captain a little: even me."

"But then I saw him with Katie and Alicia, and I'm sure you did too even if I didn't know it at the time. He just couldn't get there in time to catch the ball. Do you think it's 'cause Fred and George are on the team?" Madam Hooch- Xiomara, didn't contradict the point she had raised, instead frowning in through which gave Angelina a cause for concern.

"Hmm. It could be." She continued more slowly. "But they were at try outs as well, and he plays quidditch with them at home."

"I don't know. Leave it with me and I'll have a think about it. On to a presumably less stressful topic; how did you find your first training session as team captain?" Xiomara smiled in a way that showed she knew exactly what it felt like and was eager to hear Angelina's interpretation of the experience.

"It was so good! I didn't know what to expect, but it seemed to work out well. Everybody seemed to enjoy something, apart from poor Ron, and I saw definite improvement in the areas we targeted. Looking at that and knowing I had planned it and that I could pick out what needed done next felt... just right."

"I'm glad, because it's the kind of feeling that everybody should have the chance to experience. There really is nothing like quidditch, but you know that every bit as well as I do." Having a legendary quidditch player, Xiomara Hooch, describe her love of the game as being of equal intensity to her own made Angelina's dream of being a professional seem that much closer. A sudden thought occurred to her.

"Why did you give it up?" Xiomara froze, her eyes widening and expressing something that Angelina had never seen from her- sadness, or was it pain? The overwhelming feeling of regret came instantaneously. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked that and you don't need to answer." She didn't know what else to say and the silence was dreadful. After a heavy pause Xiomara spoke.

"Don't worry; you weren't to know because it was a few years before you could have been born. I left for two reasons, really. I was getting on a bit, and I wanted to be remembered for my glory days- everything that I achieved during the height of my career, and not for being the one who didn't know when to give up. That's something I know I got right. Máire Merryfeather was a member of the Tutshill Tornados and she was signed up in the same season as I joined the Harpies. She was a skilled young woman, versatile and quick with plenty of ingenuity, and we had lots of good matches over the years. But she knew how exactly talented she was, and how beautiful. Máire couldn't cope with the idea of being forgotten about by her fans, or doing without the competition of quidditch. She didn't retire until a couple of years ago and the fans were all glad to see her go, because over time they'd watched her skills deteriorate, her reflexes slow and they would compare it to what they had seen twenty years ago." Madam Hooch appeared to be lost in thought, staring into space for over a minute. Angelina didn't interrupt out of respect and also to allow herself time to think about Máire. She had seen the woman play on a couple of occasions but never before understood why her father had thought it sad to see her playing. It had never occurred to her that Xiomara was roughly the same age.

"Where was I? Oh yes, the second is that I had an injury and although I've made a good recovery I knew that I'd never play with the same kind of fearlessness that I used to and, forgive me- I don't meant to brag, but it was one of the things that made me such an interesting player to watch. Bludgers came at me from both directions and I crashed into a stand with such force that part of it smashed. When I landed so did all of the pieces of wood. I broke a few bones and punctured a lung- I was lucky not to lose my eyes." The younger witch couldn't help but gasp upon hearing about the severity of her flying instructor's injuries. It occurred to Angelina that she couldn't imagine Madam Hooch without her golden eyes- she had never seen a pair quite like them. There was nothing she could think of to say that was fitting.

"I... I'm sorry." It was appallingly inadequate, but Angelina didn't know what else there was she could offer.

"I already told you it doesn't matter- such things happen and c'est la vie. I wouldn't have done anything differently in that match even if I had known what was going to happen to me, or so I would like to think." Angelina reached out and placed a slender dark hand on top of one of Xiomara's, pale on comparison, in an attempt to show some kind of support.

**OoOoO**

**Thanks for reading. Please review. It may be a couple of weeks before I update, but I really need to finish off my older fics first.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for waiting- I'm going through OoTP to keep things relatively canon. I've changed the first chapter slightly because the first game of the season is against Slytherin, not Hufflepuff as I had previously thought.**

**OoOoO**

After two more practices, Ron showed no signs of improvement and if anything seemed to get worse with the additional stress of knowing that he was playing poorly. Choosing the line up for this year's team had been her first real decision as captain, and Angelina was beginning to doubt herself, especially after Harry confessed to having extra sessions of practice with the youngest Weasley male. She had tried to maintain a positive attitude, but the repetitive Slytherin chant of '_Gryffindors are losers'_ had gotten under her skin and would continue to frustrate her.

The next day, Angelina had been determined to remain calm and maintain a positive attitude, but when she read the twenty fourth of the educational decrees she felt like screaming. She understood that Umbridge was a passive aggressive sadistic tyrant, but by arguing with her Harry was jeopardising the very existence of the team. The Quidditch cup was a part of Hogwarts, and she shook off the sense that the seams of the school were being picked apart, instead giving her attention to the more immediate problem of keeping the Gryffindor team, _her team_ alive.

Professor Umbridge was a ministry official, and did not seem particularly well adjusted to the young mentalities of the children around her, and so Angelina decided that the best way forward would be to approach her with a calm demeanour and request as politely as possible that her team be allowed to reform. She had considered approaching Professor McGonagall, but the transfigurations teacher was already fighting enough battles with Umbridge as it was, and so for several reasons her head of house was not the ideal candidate. Xiomara had told her that whatever problems she was experiencing, she was welcome to share them, and Angelina believed this but so far the flying instructor had remained underneath Umbridge's radar, and it would be unfair to ask her to intervene. The bell sounded, announcing the end of the day's lessons- the perfect time to find Professor Umbridge in her office.

"'Lis, can you take my bag back up to the common room please? There's something I need to do." Alicia nodded and Professor McGonagall shot the pair of them a suspicious look as they left her classroom.

"Sure thing. Where are you going?" Alicia was always interested in sharing in her adventures, whether they fit within the bounds of school rules or not, and she couldn't help but smile.

"Nowhere interesting, I promise." And it was true. Angelina moved through the swarms of students passing through the halls of Hogwarts and turned over her points inside her mind. Sooner than she had hoped, she arrived outside the door and knocked twice. She shifted her weight and tried to keep her breathing level; if Umbridge knew that she was nervous it wouldn't go in her favour. The door swung open to reveal the High Inquisitor, who stood at least three inches below Angelina.

"Miss Johnson, how can I be of assistance?"

"Well Professor Umbridge, I'm sorry to interrupt your time but I'd like to speak to you about the reformation of the Gryffindor quidditch team." She watched the she saccharine smile slip from Umbridge's face but didn't allow it to phase her.

"Ah, I see." There was no invitation into the office.

"As I understand it we're the last quidditch team lacking your permission, and if you don't mind I'd like to know why, so that I can plan our way forward as team captain."

"Hmm. You are aware, Miss Johnson, that without my express permission that you are the captain of nothing at all." Umbridge gave a sickeningly sweet little giggle that grated upon Angelina's nerves. She forced herself to continue smiling.

"That is true, Professor, but back to my initial question; we work hard, the students enjoy watching our matches and we don't make trouble. Being disbanded means that we can't practice and that is rather disruptive to our schedule, if you'll forgive me for saying so."

"Miss Johnson in my time at Hogwarts I have found the vast majority of your team to be utterly uncooperative in the classroom, and what with education being such an important part of life I find it hard to imagine that this lack of willingness to work doesn't transfer itself to other areas. You understand my drift, I trust? I need more time to consider and have already shared my view on the matter with the last person to come to me with the same... issue." Angelina nodded and swallowed back the bitter taste in her mouth, fighting the urge to ask if they had been given permission to reform if they had been described as her team. This was getting nowhere and she was close to losing her temper- it was time to leave, but Professor Umbridge had already closed the door in her face.

Trembling with suppressed rage, Angelina stormed down the now deserted corridors deep in thought. Before she realised where her feet had taken her she found that she was standing outside of Madam Hooch's office. The young woman knocked hesitantly, certain that Xiomara would have tired of hearing about her woes, but the smile she was greeted with pushed that concern to the back of her mind.

"Angelina, please come in." She ushered the other witch into her homey office, this time directing her towards a comfortable looking blue sofa. "Are you quite alright?"

"I went to speak to Umbridge about Gryffindor team, and she closed the door in my face. She didn't give me a reason about why we can't get back together officially. It's completely not kosher." She took a deep breath and regained her composure.

"She didn't give me an answer either." Xiomara grimaced at the thought of her least favourite colleague. "I'm sorry that she was so rude to you. If you like I could-"

"No, you can't!" Both of them were surprised by Angelina's outburst. "I mean, she'll just end up disliking you and becoming antagonised over the whole thing." Their roles reversed as the flying instructor took Angelina's hand in her own.

"Albus won't accept anything like this, Angelina. Don't worry too much about it, okay? You've done your best for the team and that's all anyone can do. Quidditch aside, how are you?"

"Alright, thank you. Dad's still delighted that I made captain, and I just haven't the heart to tell him that I might not be. Mum doesn't think I should have been captain in the first place. My classes are going pretty well and that's about it."

Once the initial jubilation had worn off when it was announced that Gryffindor team could become official once more, Angelina suspected that Dumbledore had had a hand in it after all, and perhaps Xiomara, but she didn't have time to investigate because her team were so busy catching up on missed practice. Being back on the pitch felt wonderful but the strain of keeping her team in the best possible condition negated the benefits of this. The duels in the corridor and the random incidents of curses passing between the Slytherin and Gryffindor teams were escalating to unparalleled heights. Thankfully all members of her team had fully recovered and an in-depth conversation with Xiomara over tea and biscuits last night had taken the edge from what could only be described as sheer panic, but Angelina was still worried.

What happened today would determine the direction that her captaincy of Gryffindor would travel in- it was their first match of the season, Gryffindor vs. Slytherin, and now the proof would be in the pudding. She finished trying her braids back into a practical plait and aimed a shaky smile at her reflection, particularly impressive in the crimson quidditch robe, but not as confident that Gryffindor would do well as she had hoped. Her team had worked very hard, there was no doubt about that, but Ron was still struggling to save even the simplest of goals and that was demoralising for all of them.

Harry had to catch the snitch and quickly, but he knew this and was a very able seeker. She would do her best along with Alicia and Katie to keep the quaffle on the right end of the pitch, and together they were a formidable force as chasers, sharing the kind of chemistry that couldn't be bought. Thinking of all the advantages her team had put Angelina at ease. She finished her hair and bounded down the stairs, eager for the match to commence.

In her eagerness for the game Angelina had neglected to realise that on a Saturday, virtually nobody would be awake and in the great hall for breakfast before seven in the morning. She had instructed her team to eat between eight and eight thirty, as the match would begin at exactly half past nine, and failed to realise that they would not be getting out of bed in order to meet up early. In fact the hall was almost deserted, and there was nobody at her house table except a pair of second years she had never spoken to. She lifted a piece of toast from a rack and decided to eat outside by the lake in order to examine the weather conditions.

It was sunny, and a cool, crisp breeze blew in a north-eastern direction, so slight that they wouldn't have to alter their directions to remain on course at all. How it would affect their throws was a different matter altogether. She would need to remind the girls not to misjudge and throw too hard, because this was a common error even with professionals. Angelina was so absorbed in her planning that she failed to notice how quickly time had passed until the chatter of the first groups of eager students disturbed her reverie. They were beginning to head to the stands in order to secure the best seats. She sprinted back across the sprawling lawn and into the castle, thankful for the effort she put into keeping in shape.

She skidded to a stop outside of the Great Hall, determined to make a dignified entrance as it was inevitable that people would want to see how Gryffindor's captain was feeling about the match. Thankfully the vast majority of students were still seated and eating their breakfast, as were the teachers. Inhaling deeply, Angelina ignored the scrutiny she was under and made her way over to the table, struggling to keep her temper when she saw that Ron was just beginning to eat. Beside him Katie was trying her best to spread his toast for him.

"Morning guys, how are you?" The team responded with surprising energy, which brightened her mood considerable. "Listen, this is not just our first match of the season but _the_ first match of the season. We're setting the standard and we must show everyone what we can do." She sat beside Alicia and began chatting and telling them about the easy weather conditions to set them all at ease. After an agonisingly long period of time, she led them outside, over to the quidditch pitch and into Gryffindor's changing rooms. She changed in record time and couldn't help but admire her new dragon hide gloves- a treat for becoming captain.

"Alright team, you've all worked extremely hard and I have noticed an improvement in _all _of you." Ron gulped and the twins exchanged a glance- the white lie had been necessary, otherwise morale would suffer. "Now it's time to show the school exactly what you can do! Stay calm, work hard and just enjoy the game. This_ will_ go well."

"Gryffindor on three!" Both Fred and George wore identical trying-not-to-laugh expressions. She couldn't tell which Weasley twin had decided to parody her attempt of building team spirit, nor did Angelina particularly care is they succeeded in making everyone, even Ron laugh. They piled their hands together, feeling that the deprecating smirks and ironic laughter made it seem less twee. A buzzer sounded, announcing that they were due on the pitch, and it was on this emotional high that Angelina and her team made their way out in single file, carried by the enthusiastic roars of the crowd. The sound warmed her blood and brought a relaxed smile to her face.

Anticipation coursed through Angelina's veins, and she returned the crushing grip of Montague, the Slytherin captain, and did not wince despite the immense pressure. After the ceremonial handshake every player mounted their broom and waited for Madam Hooch's signal.

"Abide by the rules at all times- this is the opening round of this year's tournament and your teams are setting a standard." The flying instructor raised the silver whistle to her lips and blew as each of the balls soared into the air. Immediately there was a struggle for possession of the quaffle, and both keepers streaked to their respective goals.

Despite the best efforts of the Gryffindor chasers, Slytherin gained an early lead and the chants of what Angelina now heard to be '_Weasley is Our King'_ broke even her concentration. She and Katie passed the quaffle between them without any rhythm for the opposing team to latch on to, and just as she was about to throw to the waiting Alicia a bludger hit Angelina and the back, winding her and causing the quaffle to drop into the waiting hands of Pucey. Stars danced before her eyes and pain made her dizzy, but Angelina didn't allow herself a break- her team needed to see her being strong. Harry was sat in mid air clearly not focussing on the match and as she sped past him she yelled at him to get back into the fray. She watched as one of the Slytherin chasers bulldozed Katie and scored yet another goal, biting her lip in frustration.

But Harry was diving downwards with Malfoy right beside them- if he caught the snitch now then they would win despite Ron's floundering. Angelina only realised she'd been holding her breath when she sighed in relief as Harry rose triumphantly, the snitch clutched inside his fist. She returned to the ground and shook Harry's hand, wrapping him in a brief hug before allowing the remainder of the team to express their pleasure. Malfoy stood a small distance away making juvenile remarks that spoke only of how sore a loser he was, and Angelina was just preparing herself to lead the team back into the changing room when Harry and the twin she thought to be George Weasley tackled Malfoy to the ground and pummelled him. The next hour or so passed in a blur to Angelina.

"Stop it! STOP!" Madam Hooch there in a second, jinxing the Gryffindor seeker so that he was forcibly removed from his Slytherin counterpart. Between them Katie, Alicia and Angelina managed to drag George from Malfoy's prone form, but he continued to try and break free, fury etched into his features. Harry and George had been sent to Professor McGonagall's office and the rest of the team returned to the changing rooms.

"It'll be okay- really Ang." Katie tucked an arm under her friend's.

"Yeah, it was a great first match for any captain."

"Thanks guys." Angelina's voice was hollow. She traipsed into the shows, washed herself and sat, wrapped in a white fluffy towel on the bench looking despondent. She was on some level aware of the remainder of the team leaving, their chatter dying away and the warm steam being replaced by cold air against her skin.

**OoOoO**

She knew exactly what Gryffindor and Slytherin thought of one another, but never had Xiomara imagined anything so severe taking place, and especially not that kind of punishment. She wondered if Angelina had heard about what had happened, feeling sympathy for her young friend and hoping that she wouldn't be discouraged by what had happened. She hadn't seen Angelina leaving the pitch and suspected that she was still in the changing rooms. Her suspicions were proven to be right as she saw the hunched figure of Gryffindor's captain staring miserably into space, wrapped in a towel that contrasted dramatically with her dark skin. Xiomara coughed and waited for a response, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Angelina?" The flying instructor crossed the room and sat on the bench, taking the surprisingly cool hand of her student. "Are you alright?" There was a slight nod in response. "I'm sorry but I have a bit of bad news for you; Umbridge banned Mr Potter and the Weasley twins from quidditch permanently."

"_What_? How could she do that?" But Angelina knew the answer to her question- another decree from the minister. "Merlin..." She began to cry softly, wondering what could be done to salvage her team. Xiomara placed an arm across her the smooth back and wrapped Angelina in a hug that made her back feel slightly uncomfortable, but comforting the younger woman was of greater importance than a little twinge. As time passed she became acutely conscious of a warmth she hadn't felt to this for quite some time and ignored it, focussing on how upset her friend must be feeling.

"You can fix this Angelina; you can replace them and train the new players to the best of your ability." The quidditch instructor spoke with a quiet conviction. Eventually the tears ceased to roll down Angelina's cheeks and her body ceased shaking. She rearranged her hair without any real spirit and leant against Xiomara, unaware of the inner-turmoil she was causing the older witch. She smelled like jasmines.

"I hope so." She clutched at the towel with one hand and wrapped the other around Xiomara with relaxed ease, not seeing the slightly pained look that crossed her face. "Yeah, I can. Thank you."

Fixing her golden eyes on anywhere aside from the slender form of Gryffindor's quidditch caption, Xiomara did her best not to notice the carelessly loose way that the soft white material covered Angelina's body as she made her way into the captain's cubicle to change.

**OoOoO**

Sitting in her lounge, Xiomara stared unblinkingly into the fire. _What was wrong with her?_ She drank deeply from the crystal tumbler in her hand, as though the burn of the scotch could erase the lithe form of Angelina Johnson from her mind. It had been a moment of foolishness. She was just lonely- the delightful jolt she had felt earlier had nothing to do with her feelings for Angelina.

It was late and the rest of the castle's inhabitants would be sound asleep by now. Xiomara stood on slightly unsteady legs and summoned her broom. If she was caught, the worst that could happen was that Umbridge would pass a decree banning flying under the influence. She had never been able to resist a challenge, and as she opened the window, the cool night air felt refreshing. Her head cleared, and Xiomara mounted her broom, forgetting her worries as she flew through the air.

**OoOoO**

**Thanks for reading. Please review- we can make this the new MM/HG XD **


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